


The Stuff of Legend

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-04-17 16:55:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 9,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4674299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of ficlets; usually fluffy, often smutty, sometimes something else, but always staring the Doctor and Rose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Perks of Sleepwalking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten/Rose, written for the “What happens when Rose goes sleepwalking? They’re not on the TARDIS.“ promt by timepetalspromts on tumblr.

It had taken him hours of tossing and turning, but after a long day of universe saving (parallel universe, in this particular case), the Doctor was finally drifting off to sleep.

His feet were dangling over the armrest of the sofa in the Tyler’s living room and he was sure he would wake up with a sore neck, but there was no way he would go back to the TARDIS. After nearly loosing her today, every inch of distance between him and Rose was one inch too much. He had spend a long while in restless anxiety after she had said goodnight and retreated to her bedroom down the hall. But the events of the day were finally catching up with him, and exhaustion slowly dragged his mind into unconsciousness.

With sleep finally claiming him, the Doctor didn’t hear the soft sound of a door opening. He didn’t hear the footsteps either, slow and sluggish, as they moved through the hallway and entered the living room.

He did, however, wake from the weight that unexpectedly crashed down on him.

He let out a strangled sound as the air was knocked out of his lungs for a second, and was ready to haul the weight off him and defend himself after the sudden attack when he noticed the weight wasn’t something but someone. Someone warm and soft and sleepy who actually felt quite wonderful draped over his body.

“Rose?” the Doctor whispered, shifting underneath her to get her elbow out of his stomach.

Rose mumbled something unintelligible against his chest and tightened her grip around his waist when he moved to see her face. Her eyes were open, but she didn’t seem to register his face in front of her. Instead, she stared right through him, her expression dim and her eyes glassy. The Doctor called her name again and studied her face in concern before he finally remembered that particular human quirk.

She was sleepwalking. And obviously decided that he would make a good pillow. Rose shifted again, pulling him closer and resting her head on his chest.

“Rose? What are you doing?” the Doctor asked again, his voice low. He ran a hand over her back, trying to get some kind of reaction from her.

“Sleeping,” Rose mumbled without waking. “Missed you.”

Slowly, she let her eyes fall shut. With the peaceful expression on her face, the Doctor didn’t have the heart to wake her up. After the long and exhausting day, she deserved a night of undisturbed sleep. So he let his head fall back into the pillows, shifted until Rose was curled comfortably into his side, draped the blanket over both of them and closed his eyes as well.

~~~

The Doctor slowly woke from one of the best nights of sleep he ever had. He felt cosy and comfortable, with his arm wrapped around someone next to him. Rose, he registered as he breathed in her scent. She was soft and warm in his arms, and he wasn’t nearly close enough to her. Still half asleep he shifted closer, burying his nose into her neck and pressing his hips against her bum, enjoying the friction against his crotch. He let out a content hum and pressed his lips to her skin. With her back against his chest he felt her heart speed up in response, and that realization kicked him awake all of a sudden.

He scrambled back, as far as he could without falling off the narrow couch. Holding his breath, he watched how Rose turned around and sleepily blinked up to him. Her lips curled into a smile and he couldn’t help but grin back.

“Good morning,” Rose said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“Morning,” he grinned. “Sleep well?”

Rose stretched and let out an affirmative hum. “Yeah, I did. But- what exactly am I doing on the couch with you?”

“Oh, don’t you remember?” the Doctor asked, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, I guess that’s normal for you humans when you do things like this. You were sleepwalking and decided that you needed a cuddle. I didn’t want to wake you, so I let you sleep here. Was that rude? Should I have carried you back to your bedroom? It really was-”

“I don’t mind,” Rose quickly said to interrupt his rambling. He gaped at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. “It was nice, actually,” she said, blushing a little before her grin turned mischievous. “And you seemed to enjoy it as well.”

“Well, yeah, best night of sleep in a long time,” the Doctor said. He blinked in confusion when Rose’s grin grew wider.

“Sleeping is not what I just meant, Doctor,” she said in a low voice before she shifted closer. Her thigh pressed against his crotch, and with a rush of panic the Doctor noticed he was half- hard and straining against his trousers. Well, that explained the pressure down there. To his defence, a Time Lord could get distracted by that smile of hers.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he rushed to say, embarrassment coursing through his system. But while he expected Rose to push him straight off the sofa, or maybe yell at him a little for his inappropriate behaviour, she cupped him directly through his trousers and pressed her lips to his. The Doctor froze, not daring to move a muscle, but he couldn’t hold back the moan of pleasure.

Rose pulled back a little, searching his eyes as she silently asked for his consent. A few seconds passed in which the Doctor stared at her, his blood pounding in his ears, but then he nodded. Rose’s lips twitched and she increased the pressure, stroking him with small movements of her hand. Blood rushed to his groin, making him feel light-headed with pleasure and arousal.

Rose gave him a squeeze and the Doctor gasped, crushing his lips back to hers for a wet, sloppy kiss. But when Rose fumbled with the button of his trousers until she could slip a hand inside, the sensations were too much for him to focus. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. Rose was breathing hard as well, and her hot breath against his lips was nearly his undoing.

Later, the Doctor thanked his impressive Time Lord brain for noticing the low noise in the next room, although most of his thoughts were occupied by Rose’s fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking him with bold movements closer and closer to completion. But some part of his brain did register the sound, and when a door handle was pressed down it was enough to bring the Doctor abruptly back into reality.

He suddenly registered exactly where they were, and within seconds he pushed Rose away, scrambled to the other end of the couch and dragged the blanket over his crotch. He was breathing hard when Jackie entered the room, giving them a funny look.

From the corner of his eye the Doctor saw how Rose sat up straighter, wiped her hand on her trousers and smiled at her mother with flushed cheeks.

“Morning, mum,” she greeted. Jackie’s gaze wandered between the two of them.

“You’re up early. What are the two of you doing?” she asked.

“Nothing,” the Doctor said quickly, his voice a pitch higher than usual. “Absolutely nothing. We were just… talking. Nothing more.”

Jackie looked like she didn’t quite believe him, but she let out a sigh and turned towards the kitchen. “Oh hell, I need a cuppa before I can deal with the two of you,” she muttered. “You two want breakfast?”

“Yep!” the Doctor exclaimed, trying to zip his trousers under the blanket as unsuspiciously as possible.

“Oh, I think the Doctor could do with a shower before breakfast,” Rose said, laughter in her voice.

The Doctor glared at her, but Rose only grinned, her tongue poking out at the corner of her mouth.

She made it up to him once they were back in the TARDIS.


	2. Sensitive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tentoo/Rose, an old ficlet written in early 2014.

The Doctor lets out a needy sigh against her lips as Rose pushes him back onto the bed and climbs on top of him. His right hand wanders to the back of her head and and he tangles his fingers into the blonde strands of her hair, pulling her closer to him to deepen the kiss. Rose responds hungrily, taking the invitation of his open mouth to push her tongue past his lips where he meets her with his own. It starts slow, but quickly the kiss is getting frantic and messy, both of them too far gone for any finesse.

Rose tastes like the wine they had for dinner and makes him groan when she nips at his bottom lip. At this moment, she is everything to him; she is all around him, her taste, her scent, the soft noises of pleasure she makes in the back of her throat and the feeling of her soft breasts against his naked chest.

Rose trails her hand down his body and doesn’t hesitate when she reaches his pyjama bottoms. Instead, she slips her hand under the soft cotton and wraps her fingers around his hard cock. She strokes up and down, a firm grip around his member, eight times, nine times, and fuckfuckfuckfuck it’s too fast and he tries desperately to think of something else than her talented fingers around him, but then she swirls her thumb around the tip and grazes her teeth against his neck and he comes with a hoarse shout.

Rose pulls back a little, looking a bit surprised. The Doctor feels how his blood rushes to his cheeks, his erection softening at the same time. He lets out a groan, a sound of frustration now rather than pleasure, and covers his eyes with his hand. He can’t look at her right now.

“I’m sorry, Rose, I’m so sorry.”

He hears how Rose shifts beside him, but doesn’t open his eyes.

“It’s alright, Doctor, look at me,” she says softly.

“Nooo, it’s not. I’m sorry. New body, new nerve endings, everything is a bit sensitive. And these bloody human hormones-”

Rose interrupts him by firmly pressing her lips to his.

When she pulls back, he finally dares to look at her and is amazed by the love and understanding in her eyes.

“I said it’s okay, Doctor, and I mean it.”

She wipes her hand on his pyjama bottoms and sits up, shooting him a grin with her tongue poking out at the corner of her mouth.

“Go on, get cleaned up and then join me in bed, yeah?”

Hastily the Doctor flees into the bathroom, thankful that they are alone in Rose’s flat and not at the Tyler mansion any more, where they had spent the first week after they came back together from Norway. He uses the loo, cleans up and changes into fresh pyjama bottoms. He hesitates a moment before going back into the bedroom they are sharing since a few days and curses his human body together with the whole universe.

After shyly tiptoeing around each other for a while and a lot of snogging in the last few days, they finally arrived at the next step and he mucked it up quite spectacularly. It was over before they even started.

It’s frustrating, how very little control he has over this half human body compared to his old Timelord self. And Rose has such an incredible amount of patience for him while she would deserve so much more. With a sigh he leaves the safety of the bathroom, only to find Rose already curled up in bed. She opens her arms for him when he steps towards the bed and he gratefully sinks into the embrace.

His head rests on her shoulder, her breasts just a few inches away from his mouth and he wants to take her nipples into his mouth, suck and nibble until she is begging and squirming under him, but Rose lets out a content sigh, combs her fingers into his hair with unhurried motions and he doesn’t want to disturb this quiet, peaceful moment.

“Sorry,” he mumbles again and hears Rose chuckle in response.

“You said that already. Stop worrying, Doctor.”

“It’s just… not exactly like I imagined it, going off like a teenager, the first time you touch me.”

“It’s not your fault, you said so yourself, right? You’re still adjusting to this body.”

“Yep, everything is still a bit… overwhelming. Especially you.”

Rose laughs, a sound he has missed so much in the last years, and she adjusts her position until she can press a kiss to his lips. She gives him a wicked smile.

“I think we’ll just have to practise a lot. We’ll get better, yeah?”

The Doctor suddenly flips them over; Rose is on her back and he hovers over her, and he grins at her surprised expression before trailing wet kisses down her neck.

“No, I’ll get better,” he promises and finally takes a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the hardened peak until she gasps.

“You’re already perfect.”


	3. The Relativity of Perfection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tentoo/Rose, written for resile's birthday last year.

A sudden, ear-shattering beeping sound woke Rose with a start. She jumped out of bed, kicking her legs free from the tangled sheets and whirled around to place the danger, heart beating frantically in her chest and blood rushing in her ears.

The room was empty.

Rose blinked in confusion and took a deep breath to calm down. Her mind, still heavy with sleep, needed a few more seconds to place the noise. When she finally recognized the monotonous rhythm Rose groaned, running a hand over her face. It was a noise she was slowly getting used to. One of the side effects of living with the Doctor.

She put on one of the Doctor’s shirts that had been carelessly thrown to the floor the previous evening, and padded out of the bedroom. As she pushed open the door to the kitchen and took in the sight of the Doctor her lips curled into a smile.

The Doctor was standing on a chair, wearing only his pyjama bottoms, and stretched to reach the high ceiling. Rose watched how the muscles of his back flexed as he fiddled with the smoke alarm, cursing under his breath, and Rose had to bite her lip, trying hard not to make a noise. The Doctor, obviously getting frustrated, finally reached for the sonic screwdriver in his pocket and pointed the whirring instrument at the alarm. It let out a bunch of sparks and a rather pathetic last beep before it was silent.

Rose couldn’t help but snicker at the sight of him: standing on a chair in the middle of the kitchen, half naked with tousled hair, nearly defeated by a smoke alarm if it weren’t for his superior alien technology.

The Doctor whirled around at her laugh, eyes wide, and nearly lost his balance. He ungracefully stumbled down as Rose rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his waist to steady him. She raised her eyebrows at him and had to suppress a smile.

“No killing yourself by falling down a bloody chair on my birthday, ta.”

The corners of the Doctor’s mouth tugged upwards.

“Wasn’t planning to.”

Rose raised her head to give him a peck on the lips before she pulled back, gesturing at the chaos covering the counter and the burned pancakes on the stove. She lifted an eyebrow while the Doctor suddenly looked uncomfortable, rubbing his neck.

“So what were you planning to do?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” he whined. “I wanted to make breakfast. For you, on your birthday. I’m sorry, Rose.”

“Well, it actually was a surprise, being woken up that way.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“But it should have been a nice surprise.”

“It’s alright Doctor, I don’t mind,” Rose smiled, curling a hand around his hip to pull him closer. The Doctor complied, lips curving into a smile, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders to pull her into an embrace.

“Happy birthday Rose,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. Rose let out a content hum against his naked skin before pulling back enough to raise her head and meet his lips with hers. They kissed slowly, her lips brushing against his, and Rose trailed her hands down his chest to rest them at his hips. The Doctor nipped at her bottom lip, making her gasp, and grinned into the kiss. He finally pulled back and let out a sigh.

“I’ve had plans for today, you know.”

“I said it’s fine. We can get some muffins from the coffee shop around the corner for breakfast, yeah?”

The Doctor pulled a face, pouting. “But I wanted everything to be perfect!”

“Doctor, I don’t need perfect.”

“But you deserve it, Rose.”

Rose’s face softened at his serious expression and she reached for his hands, entangling her fingers with his. Slowly she guided his hands under her shirt, brushing against the naked skin of her hips.

“Make it up to me, then,” she whispered with a smug smile, and the Doctor grinned, guiding her backwards until she hit the counter behind her. With one swift movement the Doctor placed her on the top and stepped between her legs. His lips found the soft skin of her neck, sucking and nipping, while his fingers traced patterns against her thighs. Rose let out a soft moan and threw her head back to give him better access.

“You know,” the Doctor said, making Rose shiver against the sensation of his breath tickling her skin. “I wanted to prepare breakfast for later and then wake you up with my tongue against your clit.” He chuckled as Rose let out a needy sound in the back of her throat and locked her legs around his hips to pull him closer. His fingers brushed over her stomach and dipped lower, teasing, never touching exactly where Rose needed him.

“Well, don’t let me being awake stop you.”

The Doctor grinned. “Oh, I won’t.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birthday askbox ficlet for Julibellule.

If Rose was honest, this certainly wasn’t the worst way to wake up. Not with the Doctor slipping into her bed, his body splayed out on the mattress so close to her she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Not with his low and sultry voice as he whispered her name. But it didn’t change the fact that it was in the middle of the night, so she only let out a grumble and buried her face in her cushion. 

“I know you’re awake,” the Doctor whispered, a smug tone in his voice. “Your heart rate is accelerating.” 

Rose suppressed a shiver as his breath hit her ear, tingling on her skin. Behind her, the Doctor let out a low chuckle, and Rose cursed her inability to hide her reactions to him. 

“It’s too early,” she finally mumbled when the Doctor didn’t move an inch. “Come back in two hours.” 

“But Rose!” he whined. “I’ve got something to tell you.” 

Rose took a second to imagine the pout on his face, but even the mental image of his bottom lip jutted out wasn’t enough for her to turn around. She let out a sigh. “Then tell me and let me go back to sleep.” 

It was quiet for a few seconds, and when Rose nearly thought he had given up she felt him scoot closer until his chest was pressed to her back. He rested a hand on her waist, drawing small circles with his thumb. 

“Look at me, please?” he said, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. The feeling of his lips on her skin sent a shot of arousal through her, slowly waking her up properly. Rose finally turned around in his arms and was greeted by a broad smile. She couldn’t help but smile back. 

“What do you have to tell me?” she asked. The Doctor raised his hand from her waist to cup her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips. By the time he pulled back, Rose was flushed and a little breathless. Sleep was suddenly the last thing on her mind. 

The Doctor grinned down at her. “Happy Birthday,” he said.


	5. Colours of Fall

The human perception of fall is rubbish, the Doctor thinks. He browses through one of the magazines when he sits in the waiting room of Torchwood to get his ID and scoffs at the images of sunlit forests with leaves shining in red and gold. In the magazine, fall looks bright and warm and beautiful, but it’s nothing like that in real life. They are in London, after all.

In London, all the colours of fall are dulled by rain and mist, turning the red and gold into a blurry mass of grey and brown. It’s dark and cold and wet, and he _hates_ it. He hates his half- human body that is always tired when it gets dark early, and he hates his new cardiovascular system that desperately fails to keep him warm once the temperatures drop. But there is one pink and yellow human at his side, holding his hand through all of this, and it makes him rethink his opinion.

Fall colours, he finally decides, look entirely different.

There’s the pink spreading on Rose’s cheeks when they are out in London and a gust of wind sweeps through the street, making them walk closer together, arms touching and fingers entwined as they try to defy the cold.

There’s the green of her favourite mug that she cradles in her hands in the mornings. She always smiles at him over the rim of the mug as she slowly sips her tea and it never fails to make his single heart beat faster in his chest.

There’s the white of the sheets tangled around Rose’s body as they spend a Saturday morning cuddling in bed. It’s cold in the flat (he may or may not have tested his new sonic screwdriver on the heating), but Rose is right next to him and he finds both warmth and solace in her embrace.

There’s the blue of the oversized jumper Rose wears when it gets chilly in the evenings. It was one of his once, until Rose claimed it for herself, saying she likes that it smells like him. He doesn’t mind; it looks way better on her anyway, especially when she decides not to wear anything underneath.

There’s the red on Rose’s toenails as she paints them one day, and it’s the same red that now stains their sofa because she smiled at him before she was finished. It was one of her special smiles, the one with the tongue poking out between her teeth, and how can he not snog her when she does that?

There’s the purple of the hickey he leaves on Rose’s hip, on the spot where he likes to suck and lick until Rose is squirming underneath him. There’s the warm brown of her eyes as she looks at him in these moments, the plea to move his tongue closer to her centre ready on her lips. There are all the colours of the rainbow that explode in front of his eyes as he comes buried deep inside her heat while Rose whispers she loves him over and over again.

The colours of fall, he decides, may be beautiful after all.


	6. More than Spooky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drabble based on the promt "spooky" by timepetalspromts on tumblr.

Slitheen, Zygons, Cybermen, and even the Daleks – that was something he could deal with. Not that he wasn’t scared when he encountered them, he would be a fool not to be, but the feeling always came with a rush of adrenaline that made his hearts beat faster and made him feel more alive. It was like a drug, dangerous and addicting at the same time.

But this, _this_ was spooky. More than that, it was terrifying. The kind of terrifying that made his blood freeze and glued his feet to the ground, making it impossible to take another step forward. Holding his breath, the Doctor stared at the door in front of him.

It felt ridiculous, that there was only this door separating him from the woman the loved after months and years spend in separate universes. He still didn’t know how long it was for her - his time sense was always a bit off in parallel universes - and that was the thing that scared him more than every monster he had ever encountered. There was so much that could have changed. She could have settled down, she could have met another man, she could have-

The door was yanked open, making him flinch. And then she was _there_ , staring at him out of wide eyes, her mouth hanging open. Before he knew what was happening, Rose was in his arms. And just like that, her body flush against hers, her arms wrapped around his neck and her breath hot against his skin, his fears melted away. She was finally home.


	7. Reckless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the promt 'reckless' by timepetalspromts on tumblr.

Rose isn’t fully awake, her mind still clouded and her limbs heavy, but she already knows that every bone in her body hurts. Opening her eyes feels like too much effort, but she tries to speak anyway. Only a whimper leaves her lips.

There’s a noise at the other side of the room and a second later there is a hand on her face – no, two hands, she realises, cradling her face with the thumbs brushing over her cheeks in a familiar motion. The Doctor. A kiss is pressed to her forehead and Rose slowly cracks an eye open.

The Doctor is watching her, looking concerned and pale and tired, but it’s all gone when he breaks out into a grin as soon as her eyes meet his.

“Hello,” he smiles, and she tries to smile back, but it only ends in a grimace as a fresh wave of pain rolls through her body.

Suddenly the Doctor is gone from her vision and Rose lets out a noise of protest, trying not to panic, but a second later she feels the relief of a painkiller coursing through her veins. She lets out a shuddering breath, her heart rate slowing down as the Doctor returns to her side. He sits down on the bed next to her, cradling one of her hands in his and raising it to press a kiss to her knuckles.

“Better?” he asks. Rose nods. She stares at the bandage covering her arm, frowning as she tries to remember how she ended up in the infirmary with every part of her body aching.

“We were on Gatera, do you remember?” the Doctor says, his voice low. “There was an explosion and the building was about to collapse. You ran back in to save a little girl.”

“Did she make it?” Rose croaks, and the Doctor smiles, his eyes shining with love.

“Yes. Just a few scratches. You, on the other hand-” He stops abruptly, taking a deep breath. He averts his eyes from her face, looking at their joined hands instead. Rose can feel how his hand is trembling and she wants nothing more than to pull him into a hug, but she’s still not sure if she could actually move.

“That was reckless, Rose,” the Doctor finally says. “Please, don’t do that again.”

“But you would’ve done the same, wouldn’t you?”

The Doctor doesn’t answer for a few long seconds, but then his eyes return to hers.

“I don’t want you to risk your life like that. I couldn’t- I don’t know what I’d do without you.” The vulnerability in his eyes makes Rose’s heart clench in her chest.

“I’m not leaving you. Promised,” she finally says.

The Doctor lets out a breath, his features visibly relaxing, and he leans back down to press another kiss to her forehead. He stays close to her, his forehead resting against hers.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he says, and Rose lips curl into a smile.


	8. A Step Forward

Her alarm clock rang, suddenly startling her awake. 

Rose let out a groan, blinking sleepily into the dark before she reached out to turn it off. The room fell silent. Running a hand over her face, Rose sunk back into the cushions. But something was different than usual. Her mind still fuzzy, Rose tried to remember what had happened the last night, until the question was answered when the Doctor let out a sleepy grunt behind her.

He snuggled closer to her, burying his nose in the nape of her neck and wrapping an arm around her waist. His breath ghosted over her skin, slow and regular, so Rose suspected he had already fallen back asleep.

A smile spread on her lips as she enjoyed this unusual closeness. The Doctor's bare chest was pressed against her back, his body heat seeping through the thin top she wore to bed. Careful not to wake him, Rose turned around in his arms until she could see his face. His eyes were closed and his face was completely relaxed. To her relief, it didn't show a single trace of the distress he had experienced the last night.

It was all still new to them. Cuddling and kissing and sleeping in one bed, just being together after years spend in separate universes. It was only a few weeks after the beach, and so far she and the Doctor still slept in different bedrooms. They had already shared the occasional snog on the couch, but they still had to take this next step. They had decided to take things slow, for some reasons Rose couldn't quite remember in her growing frustration.

But it had changed after Rose had woken in the previous night with the Doctor calling out to her. She had woken him from his nightmare, calmed him as best as she could with words of reassurance and tender touches. Right before they were both falling back asleep they had moved into her room with the larger bed, although they didn't really need much space with the way they slept curled around each other.

Rose traced her fingers along his jaw, brushing a few strands of hair out of his face. The Doctor stirred at her touches, blinking sleepily, and Rose pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“I've got to get to Torchwood,” she whispered and the Doctor let out a grunt of disapproval. 

She leaned back in to kiss him again and the Doctor responded slowly, still half asleep. “Don't go,” he mumbled as Rose pulled back.

“Just for the one meeting, I promise. I'm back as soon as I can. Go back to sleep.”

Reluctantly, Rose eased out of his arms. She watched with a smile how the Doctor buried his face in the cushion, dead asleep before she even had the chance to get dressed. He didn't get much sleep these days, despite his increased need for it, so it was always a relief to see him rest peacefully.

~~~

It was already late morning when Rose made it back home. The meeting at Torchwood had gone without any troubles, but it still dragged on longer than she would have liked. She had managed to put off any co-workers asking for anything afterwards, referring them to Jake, so after a quick stop at Pete's office she was finally free for the rest of the day.

When Rose entered the flat, it still looked exactly like she had left it. Muted sunlight streamed through the closed curtains and the two mugs of tea they had enjoyed the last evening still stood on the counter. The Doctor wasn't up yet.

Rose took off her jacket and shoes, smiling at the thought of crawling back into bed to the Doctor for maybe another hour of sleep. But then she heard his voice coming from the bedroom. He was moaning her name, the sound so similar to the last night that Rose rushed down the hall before she had a second to think about it. Heart pounding in her chest, she yanked open the door and stopped dead in her tracks.

Splayed out on the bed was the Doctor. He was naked, _completely naked_ from head to toe, the towel that must have been wrapped around his hips at one point forgotten next to him. Rose knew it was horribly rude to stare, but for a few long moments the only thing she could look at were his long fingers, glistering with wetness, firmly wrapped around his cock.

But then the Doctor let out a curse and spurred into action, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over his crotch. His cheeks turned a tone of pink she had never seen on him before. He covered his face with one hand while the other clutched at the blanket so hard his knuckles went white.

“Shit. Rose, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize,” Rose finally said, still rooted to the spot. It was like her legs ceased to function while she tried to wrap her head around the fact that the Doctor was naked in her bed, getting himself off, moaning _her name_. After all the insecurities in the last weeks she finally knew for sure what she had only suspected for so long: he wanted her.

“But this is your room, and- I didn't know you were coming back early. Sorry,” he said through gritted teeth.

“It's- it's fine. Really.” 

The Doctor let out a long sigh, still not looking at her. “Rose, I- could you leave so I can get some clothes? Please?”

Rose licked her lips, warmth coiling in her belly as her gaze swept over the Doctor's lean frame. “Do you really want me to leave?” she asked, her voice steady and bold while her stomach clenched with nervousness.

“What?” The Doctor finally whipped his head up, staring at her. His eyes were dark and glazed, doing nothing to hide the arousal that Rose knew was still coursing through his veins.

She smiled, slowly approaching the bed. When the Doctor moved to make room for her, it gave her the last bit of courage she needed to join him. Pressing him down on the mattress, Rose crushed her lips to his. The Doctor responded eagerly, gasping against her lips and burying a hand in her hair to pull her closer. Rose took the chance to deepen the kiss and raked her fingers down his bare stomach. The Doctor shivered under her touch, moaning when Rose wrapped her hand around his hard length.

Rose pulled away from his lips to look at him. She smirked at the dazed look on the Doctor's face. 

“It's much better when I help you with this instead of leaving, don't you think?” she asked as she brushed her thumb over the tip of his cock before stroking up and down in a firm rhythm.

Panting, the Doctor smiled up at her. “Best idea I've heard in ages,” he said, a little breathless. 

It was the last coherent thing he could say for a while.


	9. Back in Stroke

_In stroke: a cue sports term decribing a combination of finesse, good judgement, accuracy and confidence._

She’s doing this on purpose, the Doctor realizes and grips his cue a little tighter. Before him, Rose bends over the pool table as she aims at one of the balls. Resting her hands on the surface, she bends lower than strictly necessary – revealing a perfect view of her breasts in her low-cut top. He tries not to stare, but he also knows it’s a lost cause. Especially with that hint of a black lace bra at the edge of her cleavage.

Rose looks up from the game to meet his eyes, and her lips curl into a grin she unsuccessfully tries to hide. Her eyes sparkle with amusement. Yep, definitely on purpose. He should have know the second Rose barged into the console room, exclaiming with a grin that a pool table suddenly appeared in the middle of the library. She probably sweet-talked the TARDIS into providing one for the very important purpose of seducing him. The Doctor clears his throat and averts his eyes, his cheeks suddenly feeling hot.

“You’re never gonna hit the pocket in that angle,” he says, strolling around the table and pretending to look over her shoulder to evaluate her aim.

“Oh, I know what I’m doing,” Rose says boldly. “Just give me a sec.”

She tilts her head, studying the balls on the table, and bends down again, her bum high in the air. The Doctor nearly curses out loud. Again, she gives him a perfect view of certain parts of her body he very much appreciates. Rose wiggles her bum a little bit, the short skirt riding up and revealing a bit more of the skin of her legs, only clad in thin nylons.

The Doctor takes a shaky breath, but he knows it’s too late. His trousers are slowly getting uncomfortably tight. He likes that skirt. He and Rose both know from experience that it is the perfect piece of clothing for some of their adventures. Adventures that involve a great deal of snogging and groping and orgasms, and definitely benefit from easy access.

“You know what,” Rose begins, abruptly pulling him out of the memory of the last time he saw that skirt, bunched over Rose’s hips as he pressed her against the TARDIS, “maybe you’re right. Why don’t you show me?”

She grins over her shoulder, her tongue poking out between her teeth and making his hearts skip a beat. The Doctor only takes a second to make a decision. Two can play this game, after all.

He steps forward until he’s standing behind her, his chest against her back. He groans as Rose presses her bum against his erection. She wriggles her hips again, but he stills her with a firm grip around her waist and a nip of teeth against her neck. The Doctor smirks as he hears her sharp intake of breath. Slowly, he moves his hands from her waist, brushing his fingers up her sides and then down her arms. He leaves a trail of goosebumps on her skin.

He gently adjusts her hands around the cue, positioning it in front of the cue ball. He presses her down the table in the process, his hips firm against her bum, and he feels Rose’s pulse speed up under his fingertips. His breath ghosts over her neck, making her shiver.

Taking aim, he sinks the ball in the corner pocket with one swift stroke.

The Doctor grins, abruptly pulling back. “There you go!” he says, hoping he doesn’t sound too flustered after the wonderful friction Rose’s bum created against his groin.

Rose whirls around and the Doctor can’t help but feeling smug. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes dark, her lips slightly parted as she stares at him for a second. But then she grabs his shoulders, turns until she can press him against the pool table behind him and reaches up to claim his lips in a kiss. He readily grabs her hips to pull her closer and opens his mouth for her with a groan.

They kiss until his lips feel swollen and they are both panting for air, but they are too far gone to stop to catch their breaths. As soon as his lips leave hers, Rose sinks down to her knees, pulling down his trousers and pants in one go. She looks up to him with a grin, holding eye contact for several long seconds in which the Doctor fears he might combust from anticipation any moment. And then she finally slides her lips over the tip of his aching cock, drawing a long moan from his lips as she sets up a firm rhythm.

If this meant Rose winning this game, the Doctor thought as his head lolled back, he sure wouldn’t mind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some angsty dialogue prompts on tumblr, so the next few chapters will be a bit different from the usual fluff in this collection.

When Rose emerged from the tiny bathroom – not more than a sink and a toilet, barely enough space to turn around – the Doctor had already turned out the lights in their cabin.

In the dark, the room looked even bleaker than before, more claustrophobic, and Rose let out a shaky breath. For the whole day she had managed to keep her hopes up, despite their loss of the TARDIS and the black hole hovering over them, but now in the darkness, desperation seeped into her bones before she could stop it. It didn’t help that the Doctor had pulled back from her, both emotionally and physically, and was silently brooding the whole evening instead of being his usual rambling self.

He was already lying on top of the narrow bed they were sharing, his arms crossed behind his back as he stared up to the ceiling. He didn’t look up when Rose came into the room, switched off the bathroom light and closed the door. But he finally shifted to make space for her after she had made the few feet to their bed. She sat down on the edge, fumbling for the sheet in the darkness.

“I’m not cut out for this,” the Doctor suddenly said, making Rose jump. She stopped dead in her tracks, turning her head as she tried to make out his features.

“What do you mean?” she finally asked after a few long seconds of silence. Her eyes were only slowly adjusting to the lack of light, and the darkness around her unnerved her more than she was willing to admit.

The Doctor sighed.

“Life on the slow path. No travelling, stuck in one place. I can’t do that. Really, I can’t.”

He sounded so earnest, so desperate, and Rose was at a loss of words. She knew that she should comfort him, be strong for him after he had been cut off from his ship, but she wasn’t sure if she could speak with the lump in her throat. Her eyes stung and she gripped the edge of the bed so hard her fingers hurt. Desperately fighting for the last bit of control.

“Rose?” A few seconds of silence. “Hey, come here.”

Rose flinched when his fingers suddenly brushed away the tears on her cheeks. She hadn’t realized he had moved to sit next to her. The Doctor froze, but Rose leaned into his touch and he relaxed, wrapping an arm around her.

“I’m sorry,” Rose said, her voice wavering as she curled closer into the Doctor’s site. “I believe that we’ll find the Tardis, I really do, but if we don’t- Doctor, I can’t do this without you.”

“I know. I’m sorry too,” the Doctor said quietly. He held her close and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

For a few long moments, they were both taking comfort in each others proximity. Rose sniffled and wiped her cheeks again. “Maybe you can’t do it on your own, and I can’t do it either, but we can do it together, yeah?” she finally said.

The Doctor let out a long breath. And then he shifted, pulling Rose with him until they were lying on the bed, next to each other, still embraced.

“Yes,” he finally said. “We can do that.”


	11. Chapter 11

The Doctor scowled at the monitor, showing nothing but a dark and rainy alley outside. This was not where he had wanted to be. Although he wasn’t exactly sure where “this” actually was. He pressed a couple of buttons and the TARDIS groaned in annoyance, but the controls didn’t show him any more details. It had been a rough landing, and he finally pushed away from the console, giving his ship a bit more time to recover from the ride. For a second his gaze wandered to the doors, but he scrunched up his nose, glanced again at the pouring rain on the monitor and buried his hands in the pockets of his suit. A cup of tea was in order, and maybe then the TARDIS could be persuaded to take him somewhere more comfortable.

He was nearly out of the console room when a ringing sounded through the air. The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks, confused, and whirled around to stare at the console. The telephone rang again, a shrill sound disturbing the silence of his ship that he had gotten so accustomed to in these last few months. Slowly walking over to the console, he frowned at the phone and finally snatched the receiver.

“Hello?” he asked, not sure what to expect.

“Please come get me,” Rose whined on the other end and his blood froze in his veins.

Impossible. It was impossible. Rose was gone, lost in the war between the Daleks and the Cybermen. Stuck in another universe, so far away that he couldn’t reach her, no matter how hard he had tried. Something was wrong. She couldn’t be back and he couldn’t afford to get his hopes up. The universe wasn’t that kind to him.

“Doctor, do you hear me?” Rose asked, oblivious to his distress that made it impossible to breathe, impossible to speak. “I’m still at Shareen’s and it’s pouring outside. Forgot my umbrella at mum’s. Can you pick me up?”

Oh. The sudden realization kicked the air out of his lungs. The Doctor remembered that rainy day in London when she had visited her friend and he had stayed behind to get some repairs done. She wasn’t back. She was just calling from a different point in her timeline, and he felt as if he might shatter into thousands of little pieces that he would never be able to put back together.

“Doctor?” Rose repeated again, worry creeping into her voice.

“Yeah,” the Doctor managed to choke out. “I’m here.”

“Is everything all right? Did you hear what I said?”

“Yep! Fine, I’m fine,” he said quickly, sure that Rose didn’t believe him. “I’m gonna be there in a jiffy.”

“Okay, thanks. Sure you’re okay?” Rose asked, sounding confused.

“I am,” the Doctor said and his hearts clenched painfully in his chest. It might have been the biggest lie he’d ever told anyone. He was not all right. It physically hurt, to be able to talk to her again, but not be able to say all the things he had wanted to say ever since they were separated. To be so close to her, while at the same time she was farther away than she’d ever been. “I’m on my way.”

And with that he hung up before Rose had the chance to reply. He couldn’t talk to her any second longer. One more word from her and he might go and get her, despite the paradox it would create, despite all the dangers it entailed. And as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do that. The Doctor crumpled to the floor in front of the console, not bothering any more to hold his tears back. He knew he had to call his other self to pick Rose up, but just for the moment, he let his grief overwhelm him and cried over the woman he loved and lost.


	12. Chapter 12

There’s a flash, and a bang, and the next thing Rose knows is that she’s lying flat on her back, her ears ringing as she struggles to breathe. She blinks at the ceiling, disorientated for the moment, and tries to lift her head, only enough to have a look around. A dim corridor, all grey and brown and black, only illuminated by her torch that is lying a few feet away. She must have dropped it when she fell. A shadow moves at the end of the corridor, but then it’s gone.

Gasping for air, Rose curls onto her side. A small spot of red on her stomach distracts her, and for a moment she watches in fascination how it grows, blossoming into something more, something dangerous and frightening. Blood, she realizes with a start. It’s her blood. She was on a Torchwood mission, and she’s just been shot. She can hear the frantic voices of her team in her ear, calling her name, but she doesn’t seem to be able to speak.

Pain finally cuts through the initial moment of shock, pulsing and burning. Rose cries out in agony. And finally, she realizes how dangerous this wound really is. She’s loosing blood, a lot of it, very fast, and there’s nothing she can do. It’s dark, and she’s alone, and there’s no one to help-

Someone is running, the footsteps rapidly growing louder. And then the Doctor is at her side, crouching next to her and urgently pressing a hand against her stomach. The pressure feels like she’s being shot all over again. She wails and her breathing falters, and for a fraction of a second she just wants it all to stop.

“Rose!” the Doctor cries, more desperate than she’s ever seen him. “Look at me – just breathe, okay?”

His voice helps cutting through the fog in her brain, helps pushing the pain aside, and she manages to meet his eyes. She’s so glad that he’s here with her. But it’s not fair. After all he’s given up for her, his ship, his life, an entire universe, it’s not fair that she’s going to leave him like this.

“You’re not leaving,” the Doctor says through gritted teeth as he presses harder onto her wound. She didn’t realize she said the last words out loud. “I won’t let you.”

Rose smiles, despite the pain, despite the desperation. Right in this moment, she believes him. Because he’s the Doctor, and she loves him, and he’s the one who didn’t leave while his other self did. Now it’s her turn to do the same for him. Stay at his side, no matter what happens. But before Rose can say it, her world grows dark.

~

Hours later, she wakes in a dimly lit hospital room, her mind and body numbed by medicine. The Doctor is the first thing on her mind and she’s relieved to find him still at her side. He’s sitting in a chair next to her bed, asleep, but still holding her hand as if he’s never going to let go. Rose tightens her fingers around his. She’s never going to let go either.


	13. Chapter 13

Rose scanned the crowd at the coffee shop, nervously tapping her fingers against the mug in her hands. She’d been half an hour early and decided to have something to drink while she waited for John to arrive. But the caffeine coursing through her veins was only making her jittery now. She groaned and set the mug down on the table in front of her.

She was being ridiculous. She shouldn’t be nervous to see John. He was her best mate, and surely the last six months that he had spent abroad hadn’t changed that. But she couldn’t help but wonder if something had changed between them. If things would be weird. Maybe he had met someone else? Before he left, Rose had been sure that it was only a matter of time until their friendship would evolve into something more. Their separation had done nothing to change her feelings, but what if it would be different for him?

Before Rose could completely succumb to the panic rising inside her, the door to the coffee shop opened, letting a gust of cold wind inside. A second later John entered, shaking snowflakes out of his hair. Oh, he looked gorgeous as ever. His eyes scanned the room until they settled on her. His smile turned into a bright grin, lighting up his entire face.

Rose stood up as he rushed to her side, and a second later she found herself in a bone-crushing hug. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, Rose buried her nose in the crook of his neck and breathed in his smell that she had missed to much in the past months. John was laughing as he enthusiastically picked her up, making Rose giggle as well. The feeling of his arms around her was enough to dissolve all her worries.

Far too soon, John set her back down and pulled back, just enough to see her face. Their bodies were still touching, his hands still on her hips, and Rose wished he would never let go. John beamed down at her, love and adoration shining from his eyes.

“Hello,” he said, his voice low. Rose grinned up at him, giving him a tongue-touched smile.

“Hello yourself,” she said, enjoying how John’s eyes flickered down to her lips. Apparently things hadn’t changed at all.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twelve/Rose, based on a prompt by timepetalsprompts.

“Do you still like me?”

Rose looked up in surprise, turning her head to see the Doctor standing in the door frame to the library. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to another, looking unsure as he watched her reaction.

“Doctor, we've been married for over a century,” Rose replied in confusion.

The Doctor tore his eyes away from her face, huffing in frustration. „Yes, of course. But this is... different. I am different,“ he said, the Scottish accent thick in his voice, as if he wanted to demonstrate his point. It was still unfamiliar. Only a few days had passed since his regeneration, hitting them both by surprise in the middle of saving the universe. There hadn't been any time to get used to it.

“Come here,“ Rose said, setting her book aside and opening her arms for him. The Doctor hesitated for a second, lingering in the door frame before he walked over and sat down on the couch beside her.

“You're still you,“ Rose said softly, resting her hand on his. “You're still the Doctor.“

The Doctor let out a hum in agreement, but he drew his eyebrows together, not meeting her eyes.

“But you've got to admit that this is quite a change compared to the last body.“

“Oh, I'm not so sure about that. You're still rude.” The Doctor's lips twitched upwards, just for a second.

“Rude and still not ginger,” he sighed. “Instead my hair turned grey. How rubbish is that? Haven't had that for centuries.”

“It's still really great hair,” Rose insisted with a smile, reaching out to comb her fingers through the short strands.

“Are you serious?” The Doctor finally looked at her.

“Absolutely. It's very fluffy. I like that.” Rose ran her fingers up his head, making the Doctor groan. She grinned and tugged on his hair, coaxing another low rumble from the back of this throat.

“And you still like it when I touch you. Not so different,” she grinned and the Doctor shifted closer to her, taking her other hand on his.

“Rose Tyler, I can assure you that no regeneration will ever change that,” he said, lifting her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.

“Good,” Rose said, relief in her voice. “You've been avoiding me the last day since we got back, I was starting to worry.”

“I just...” The Doctor broke off, taking a deep breath. “I needed a bit to get used to this. I look old.”

“You are old,” Rose teased, her tongue poking out between her lips. “And so am I, for a human.”

“But you still look like you are twenty-five,” the Doctor protested. “Everyone is going to assume I'm your father and not your husband.”

Rose rolled her eyes and slid one leg over his, shifting until she was straddling his lap. She framed his face with her hands, forcing him to look at her.

“You listen to me, Doctor,” she said. “I don't care what people think. I love you, and that's not going to change just because you look older. Besides...” Her lips curled into a grin and she rocked her hips against his. “We can barely keep our hands off each other. Not here, and definitely not in public. No one is going to think we're related.”

To her delight the Doctor grabbed her hips and pulled her closer against him, making her gasp. His features finally relaxed.

“I love you too,” he said quietly, leaning up to press his lips to hers. When they broke apart, Rose was breathing hard and squirming on his lap.

“You still got the moves in this new body?” she teased. The Doctor chuckled, his breath ghosting over her lips. In one swift movement he turned them around until Rose was on her back and he was hovering above her.

“I should think so. But we should test everything, just to be sure. I hope you're not planning to go anywhere anytime soon,” he said before pressing his lips to the skin of her neck.

Rose laughed, wrapping her arms around him. “Nope. I'm not going anywhere. Not without you.”


End file.
